Katherine Eisen

Clinical Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Bio

Bio

Dr. Eisen is a Clinical Assistant Professor and CA Licensed Clinical Psychologist working with the INSPIRE Clinic at Stanford. Her research and clinical interest center on therapeutic interventions that support recovery for individuals living with serious mental illness, in particular for individuals with psychosis. Dr. Eisen received her bachelor?s degree from Cornell University, and her PhD from the University of Connecticut, and completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University. Before coming to the INSPIRE Clinic, Dr. Eisen worked for over 10 years as a psychologist on the acute inpatient units at Stanford Health Care. Dr. Eisen is trained in CBT for psychosis (CBTp) and has worked with colleagues to train therapists, nursing and multidisciplinary staff, medical students, and residents to integrate CBTp informed, recovery-oriented approaches into their work with individuals with psychosis. She provides both individual and group-based cognitive behavioral therapy.

Abstract

This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of developing a recovery-oriented book club in an acute inpatient psychiatric setting, and the impact of participation on measures of hope and recovery orientation.Participants were recruited from an inpatient psychiatric hospital and assigned to control (N = 13) or experimental (N = 13) conditions. Participants completed the Herth Hope Index (HHI) and the Mental Health Confidence Scale (MHCS) at baseline and follow-up. Book club participants completed a satisfaction survey. ANOVA was performed to examine changes on HHI and MHCS.No significant differences were found between conditions on HHI or MHCS. On the satisfaction survey, most book club participants agreed "somewhat" or "strongly" that the intervention increased self-understanding (92.3%) and hope (61.6%).Book club groups may help individuals in inpatient psychiatric settings feel more hopeful. Future research may examine the adaptability of this intervention for outpatient settings. (PsycINFO Database Record